School of Liberal Arts: Political Science
2008-2009 Academic Year
472
POLT 473 Social Contract Theory(3)
Prof. Thompson. A survey of historical developments leading up to the current
social contract revival among North American and European political theorists.
Particular attention will be paid to the varieties of contractualism since the
ancients and the appropriateness of contract theories for understanding the social,
political, and moral relationships in modern commercial societies.
POLT 477 Transition to Modernity (3)
Prof. Remer. A survey of the political thought of the Renaissance and
Reformation stressing the transition from medieval to modern political theory.
Theorists discussed include Machiavelli, Erasmus, More, Luther, Calvin, Hooker,
Bodin, and the "Monarchomachs."
POLT 478 Modern Political Theory (3)
Prof. Thompson. An analysis of the development of political theory since the 16th
century with emphasis on modern ideologies especially conservatism, liberalism,
communism, and fascism. Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Burke, Bentham, and Marx
are given particular attention.
POLT 479 Contemporary Political Philosophy (3)
Prof. Thompson. Analyzing contemporary political philosophy, within the context
of Kantianism vs. Hegelianism. Attention will be concentrated on political
philosophers such as Arendt, Oakeshott, Rawls, Foucault, Lyotard and Derrida.
Same as PHIL 674.
POLT 486 American Political Thought (3)
Staff. This course discusses the historical development of the Constitution and
associated political ideas, from the founding period up to the present. Thinkers
discussed include Paine, Madison, Calhoun, Dewey, and Rawls, among others.
POLT 487 Asian Political Thought (3)
Staff. A survey of major political ideas in Asian thought with attention paid to
continuity and discontinuity between classical and modern ideologies and theories
of government.
POLT 670 Understanding Political Thought (3)
Prof. Remer, Prof. Thompson. An examination of the logical structure of practical
political thinking (propaganda and ideology) and explanatory political thinking
(history, science, and philosophy). The varieties will be exemplified in famous
texts, films, and other media.
POLT 682 Rationality and Choice (3)
Staff. Prerequisites: two prior courses in political science, economics, political
economy, or approval of instructor. The course will include an introduction to
some of the theoretical literature, as well as illustrations of such theories to
political problems such as the provision of social order and other collective goods,
the management of natural resources, and the formation of organization and social
movements.